Haymaking machine wherein leaves are separated from stalks in the course of hay transportation

ABSTRACT

A haymaking machine facilitating separation of leaves from their stalks connected to the hay during the course of transportation of the hay, adapted to pick up a stack of hay, feeding it into a container, separating from the hay leaves which are loosely attached to their stalks and pressing them into cylindrical granules. The machine comprises a frame, wheels for moving the machine along the ground, a pickup attachment for hay, and means for the conveyance, separation and pressing of the separated leaves into granules. The machine also includes containers for collecting the hay and the granulated leaves.

United States Patent Inventors Fedor Nikolaevich Volkov Kotelnicheskayanaberezhnaya, 1/15, korpus B, kv. 53; Mikhail Grigorievich Negrimovsky,ul. Raevskogo, 3, kv. 15; Alexei Nikolaevich Pasik, Institutskyproezd,6, kv. 25, all of,

Moscow, USSR. Appl. No. 819,198 Filed Apr. 25, 1969 Patented Jan. 4,1972 HAY'MAKING MACHINE WHEREIN LEAVES ARE SEPARATE!) FROM STALKS IN THECOURSE OF HAY TRANSPORTATION 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 56/364, 56/1 56/350,130/21 Int. Cl A0ld 89/00 Field of Search130/21;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 916,310 3/1909 Henderson56/358 1,082,191 12/1913 George 130/21 3,058,284 10/ 1 962 Anderson56/25.4

Primary Examiner-Russell R. Kinsey Att0rney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz &Nissen ABSTRACT: A haymaking machine facilitating separation of leavesfrom their stalks connected to the hay during the course oftransportation of the hay, adapted to pick up a stack of hay, feeding itinto a container, separating from the hay leaves which are looselyattached to their stalks and pressing them into cylindrical granules.

The machine comprises a frame, wheels for moving the machine along theground, a pickup attachment for hay, and means for the conveyance,separation and pressing of the separated leaves into granules, Themachine also includes containers for collecting the hay and thegranulated leaves.

PATENTED JAN 4 I972 SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENTEUJAN M912 3631.661

SHEET 2 [1F 4 PATENTEDJAN 41.972 3.631661 SHEET 3 [IF 4 FIG. 3

PATENTEDJAN M972 3'631'661 SHEET [If 4 FIG. 4

I-IATMAKING MACHINE WHEREIN LEAVES ARE SEPARATED FROM STALKS IN THECOURSE OF HAY TRANSPORTATION The present invention relates to haymakingmachines wherein leaves are separated from stalks in the course of thehay transportation.

Known in the prior art are haymaking machines wherein leaves areseparated from stalks in the course of the hay transportation,comprising a pickup attachment and an arrangement for transportation ofleaves and separation thereof from stalks.

In one of said machines the arrangement for transportation of leaves andseparation thereof from stalks is made as two conveyors mounted oneabove the other, the belts of the conveyors moving in one direction atdifferent speeds.

In another machine the arrangement for transportation of leaves andseparation thereof from stalks comprises two rollers mounted one abovethe other and rotating in opposite directions, a fan adapted for suckingleaves separated from stalks, and a conveyor delivering the rest of thehay into a hay stacker.

In the prior art machines the leaves separated from stalks, thoughoccupying a considerable space, have a small specific weight, as aresult of which they are not convenient for transportation and storage.

Furthermore, in the prior art machines both the belts of the conveyorsof the first machine, moving at different speeds, and the rollers of theother machine, rotating in opposite directions, do not provide forsufficiently intensive separation of leaves from stalks.

Furthermore, the first-mentioned machine does not provide for adequateseparation of leaves.

Due to the difficulty encountered when providing stable operation of thefan (sucking leaves) under field conditions, the latter of said machinesis not reliable in operation.

In accordance with the foregoing the object of the present inventionresides in the provision of such a haymaking machine which would ensurequality separation, transportation and storage of leaves, and whichwould be reliable in operation.

In the furtherance of this and other objects of the invention theproposed haymaking machine has a device for pressing leaves which ismounted in the path of leaves separated from the stalks on the hay.

it is advantageous to make the device for pressing leaves as arotary-type press disposed below the arrangement used for the conveyanceof the hay containing the leaves and separation of the latter fromstalks attaching the leaves to the hay.

In the present haymaking machine the arrangement for transportation ofleaves and separation thereof from stalks may consist essentially of aninclined conveyor having a belt which mounts spring-loaded pins, and achute whose upper portion is perforate and disposed above therotary-type press, and which is provided with pins inclined in thedirection of the movement of the lower run of the conveyor belt.

The following description of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention is given with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view, with portions broken away and omitted,of the haymaking machine in which leaves are separated from stalks,

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, the arrangement for the conveyanceof the hay with separation of the leaves loosely attached to theirstalks; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the arrangement of FIG. 3.

The haymaking machine comprises a frame 1 (FIG. 1) resting upontravelling wheels 2; hinged to the frame I is a drumtype pickupattachment 3 used for picking up hay from a swath along the ground anddelivering it to an arrangement used for transportation of leaves andseparation thereof from stalks, which arrangement comprises an inclinedconveyor 4 and chute 5.

The inclined conveyor 4 comprises a continuous belt having spring-biasedpins 7 secured thereon. The chute 5 disposed under the lower run of thebelt 6 of the conveyor 4 is made perforated in its upper portion and haspins 8 inclined in the direction of the movement of the conveyor belt.Disposed at a side of the conveyor and under the perforated portion ofthe chute 5 is a device for pressing leaves which is essentially arotary-type press 9 for crushing leaves and pressing them into granules.The press 9 is connected to a feeder made as a hopper 10 disposeddirectly under the perforated portion of the chute 5, and screw conveyor11 (FIG. 2) feeding the separated leaves into the press.

To transport pressed leaves to a collector 12, the machine is providedwith an elevator 13.

The hay from the roller is gripped by the pickup attachment 3, and istransported by the spring-biased pins 7 of the lower run 6 of theconveyor 4 along the chute 5 and its perforated portion. While beingcarried upward by pins 7, the hay encounters in its path inclined pins8, passes over or around a side of generating an interaction between thehay and the pins which ensures separation from the stack of hay leaveswhich are detached from their stalks. As a result of interaction ofconveyor pins 7 with the pins 8 leaves loosely attached to their stalkswill be separated therefrom. Proper cooperative functioning between thepins 7 and 8 is ensured be a definite compliance with design parametersof the parts and the proper arrangement of the latter (FIGS. 3 and 4).As a result of this, loose and usually falling leaves are separated fromstalks, drop through the perforated portion of the chute 5 and getinside the press 9, In the press, the dry leaves are compressed andcrushed into small particles which are then pressed into granules ofgenerally cylindrical shape.

From the rotary-type press 9 the pressed leaves are delivered to theelevator 13, and further, to the collector 12. As the collector 12 isfilled up, the leaves are unloaded into the body of a lorry to betransported for consumption and long storage.

With the leaves separated from stalks and pressed into granules, thequality of the rest of the hay is not adversely affected, since it isonly the leaves that usually fall out that are separated.

Since the leaves contain the main bulk of vitamins and nutrients, theyconstitute a more nutritious part of the hay when pressed into granules.

What is claimed is:

l. A haymaking machine wherein leaves are adapted to be separated fromtheir stalks during the course of transportation of the hay, comprising;a frame supported on wheels for movement along the ground, hay pickupattachment means for picking up a stack of hay from the ground connectedto said frame, an inclined conveyor installed adjacent said pickupattachment means so as to receive hay from the latter, pin means on saidconveyor for gripping the hay conveyed thereon, a container forcollection of the hay conveyed by said conveyor, a chute disposed belowsaid conveyor extending along the direction of movement of the hay, onsaid conveyor, said chute including means for separating leaves from thehay positioned below the discharge end of said conveyor, means forpressing the separated leaves into granules, said pressing means beingdisposed below said separating means and adapted to receive leavestherefrom; conveyor means; and a hopperfor collecting the granules, saidconveyor adapted to convey the granules from said pressing means to saidhopper.

2. A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means forpressing leaves comprises essentially a rotary-type press.

3. A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means forseparating leaves comprises a portion of the chute disposed below saidinclined conveyor, said chute portion being perforate, pins means onsaid chute portion positioned in staggered rows and inclined in thedirection of motion of the hay along said conveyor, said pins means incooperation with the pins on said inclined conveyor being adapted todetach at least a portion of the leaves from their stalks so as toseparate said leaves from the hay during conveyance by said conveyor.

1. A haymaking machine wherein leaves are adapted to be separated fromtheir stalks during the course of transportation of the hay, comprising;a frame supported on wheels for movement along the ground, hay pickupattachment means for picking up a stack of hay from the ground connectedto said frame, an inclined conveyor installed adjacent said pickupattachment means so as to receive hay from the latter, pin means on saidconveyor for gripping the hay conveyed thereon, a container forcollection of the hay conveyed by said conveyor, a chute disposed belowsaid conveyor extending along the direction of movement of the hay, onsaid conveyor, said chute including means for separating leaves from thehay positioned below the discharge end of said conveyor, means forpressing the separated leaves into granules, said pressing means beingdisposed below said separating means and adapted to receive leavestherefrom; conveyor means; and a hopper for collecting the granules,said conveyor adapted to convey the granules from said pressing means tosaid hopper.
 2. A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein themeans for pressing leaves comprises essentially a rotary-type press. 3.A haymaking machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means forseparating leaves comprises a portion of the chute disposed below saidinclined conveyor, said chute portion being perforate, pins means onsaid chute portion positioned in staggered rows and inclined in thedirection of motion of the hay along said conveyor, said pins means incooperation with the pins on said inclined conveyor being adapted todetach at least a portion of the leaves from their stalks so as toseparate said leaves from the hay during conveyance by said conveyor.